Great Lakes Challenge 17u All-Grit Team

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Among all the talented players at the Great Lakes Challenge, there were some that were just plain tough, hard working and / or stoppers on the defensive end. I decided to group these players on the Great Lakes Challenge 17u All-Grit Team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3501919' first='Brookes' last='Beckman']</strong> (Toledo Ice 17u - 1)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Beckman is a fun player to watch. He plays within himself and with a ton of heart and effort. He seemed willing to play whatever role was needed for his team to pick up a win. Beckman showed toughness when he powered through 2 defenders, hitting the bucket and earning the and 1. He was also willing to get physical while battling for boards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Liam Nolen</strong> (Shoebox Sports 17u)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nolen was a really unique player that filled multiple roles and did them all with toughness and strength. He even showed that he could dunk with force on both days of the Great Lakes Challenge. On multiple occasions, I saw him dribble drive through contact, never being thrown off course or moved by the defender. Nolen scored, drew contact and went to the free throw line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3462798' first='Charles' last='Norrington'] (Toledo Ice 17u - 1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Norrington has a really strong frame. Better yet, he knows how to use it and isn't afraid to do it. He was active on the offensive glass where he earned put back points and was able to utilize his ability to pass out of the post. Norrington played solid vertical defense and picked up a couple blocks. He was able to use his strong frame to hold his ground defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2928326' first='Elijah' last='Smith']</strong> (Shoebox Sports 17u)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you grab 2 or more offensive rebounds in a single possession multiple times in a game, then you play with grit. That's just what I saw [player_tooltip player_id='2928326' first='Elijah' last='Smith'] do on Sunday. He scored all around the rim, establishing position and using physicality to earn rebounds. Smith even blocked multiple shots in the game that I watched. He just had a nose for the ball and was relentless under the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2497626' first='Landon' last='Talladay']</strong> (Toledo Ice 17u - 1)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Talladay was a breakout player last grassroots season and he was back at his old ways at the Great Lakes Challenge. He's a top notch post defender that can protect the rim. That was obvious today when Talladay sent 3 shots back within the first few minutes of the game. He grabbed over 10 rebounds and looked improved once again with his ball skills. You won't find anyone else more willing to battle on the basketball court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->